Explain why a social worker should study the stages of group development and the variable factors that influence the stages of group development

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

All ongoing groups go through natural stages of development, although the pace and complexity of each stage may vary. The social worker's understanding of these stages is essential in anticipating and addressing the behaviors that characterize each phase so that the group's objectives can ultimately be met. The social worker is also responsible for removing obstacles that threaten to derail the group's development and hinder the success of individual members. In doing so, the social worker must make strategic, informed choices regarding his or her input and actions across the life span of the group.
Without knowledge of the group's stage of development, leaders may be prone to making errors, such as expecting group members to begin in-depth explorations in initial sessions or concluding that they have failed if the group exhibits the discord that is typical of early development. Leaders may also overlook positive behaviors that indicate that the group is approaching a more mature stage of development, or they may fail to intervene at critical periods to assist the group's evolution (for example, encouraging them to "stay on task," to "count in" all members in decision making, to foster free expression, or to adopt many other behaviors that are hallmarks of an experienced group).

Various models of group development offer frameworks for organizing your observations about the group and its characteristics, themes, and behaviors. All of these models identify progressive steps in group development, although they may organize these steps into four, five, or even six stages. Some theorists have noted variations in group stages based on the gender of group members. For example, Schiller (1997, 2007 ) has noted that groups composed of women may emphasize intimacy for a longer period and come to power and control later in the group's process. Berman-Rossi and Kelly (2000 ) suggest that stages of group development are influenced by variables such as worker skills, attendance patterns, group content, gender, and other member characteristics. Open-ended groups and those with turbulent changes in membership may not move through these stages in a linear fashion and may require more time at formative stages if cohesion is slow to develop (Galinsky & Schopler, 1989).